Narrative:

While deplaning and enplaning passenger at a scheduled stop, carry-on bags that are carried in the nose of the aircraft were taken off and then put back for through passenger. At some point the right nose baggage compartment door was not relatched properly by the ramp agents. The takeoff, in-flight and landing were uneventful. While taxiing, the contents of the nose baggage compartment apparently shifted as the aircraft made a left turn from one taxiway onto another pushing a bag against the right nose door, pushing it open and allowing the bag to fall out. The right propeller struck the bag, but caused no sound or aircraft abnormalities that would indicate there was a problem. Upon arriving at the gate, a ramp agent discovered the door unlatched. It was then that a passenger indicated his carry-on bag was not among those that had been taken off the aircraft. After reviewing the flight and any possibilities as to what might have happened to the bag, the captain and I remembered a bump sound we had heard while taxiing to the gate, and had at the time attributed it to a possible centerline light or uneven taxiway area. The airport board was asked to check the taxi area and discovered the bag which was destroyed due to the propeller strike. In the future it should be the first officer's last check before boarding the aircraft and closing the door to check to see that both nose compartment doors are properly latched and secure. The possibility of adding it to the aircraft checklist before starting engines or made into a company directive would aid as a reminder since there are no cockpit lights indicating an unsecure nose baggage door on this particular aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT ACFT BAGGAGE DOOR FELL OPEN DURING TAXI TO PARKING CAUSING BAGGAGE TO FALL OUT UNDERNEATH THE ACFT AND STRUCK BY THE PROP AND RUN OVER.

Narrative: WHILE DEPLANING AND ENPLANING PAX AT A SCHEDULED STOP, CARRY-ON BAGS THAT ARE CARRIED IN THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WERE TAKEN OFF AND THEN PUT BACK FOR THROUGH PAX. AT SOME POINT THE R NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS NOT RELATCHED PROPERLY BY THE RAMP AGENTS. THE TKOF, INFLT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. WHILE TAXIING, THE CONTENTS OF THE NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT APPARENTLY SHIFTED AS THE ACFT MADE A L TURN FROM ONE TXWY ONTO ANOTHER PUSHING A BAG AGAINST THE R NOSE DOOR, PUSHING IT OPEN AND ALLOWING THE BAG TO FALL OUT. THE R PROP STRUCK THE BAG, BUT CAUSED NO SOUND OR ACFT ABNORMALITIES THAT WOULD INDICATE THERE WAS A PROB. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE, A RAMP AGENT DISCOVERED THE DOOR UNLATCHED. IT WAS THEN THAT A PAX INDICATED HIS CARRY-ON BAG WAS NOT AMONG THOSE THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN OFF THE ACFT. AFTER REVIEWING THE FLT AND ANY POSSIBILITIES AS TO WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO THE BAG, THE CAPT AND I REMEMBERED A BUMP SOUND WE HAD HEARD WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE, AND HAD AT THE TIME ATTRIBUTED IT TO A POSSIBLE CTRLINE LIGHT OR UNEVEN TXWY AREA. THE ARPT BOARD WAS ASKED TO CHK THE TAXI AREA AND DISCOVERED THE BAG WHICH WAS DESTROYED DUE TO THE PROP STRIKE. IN THE FUTURE IT SHOULD BE THE FO'S LAST CHK BEFORE BOARDING THE ACFT AND CLOSING THE DOOR TO CHK TO SEE THAT BOTH NOSE COMPARTMENT DOORS ARE PROPERLY LATCHED AND SECURE. THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING IT TO THE ACFT CHKLIST BEFORE STARTING ENGS OR MADE INTO A COMPANY DIRECTIVE WOULD AID AS A REMINDER SINCE THERE ARE NO COCKPIT LIGHTS INDICATING AN UNSECURE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.